What to Eat with Chilli Jam: 10 Brilliant Pairings

Chilli jam is one of those condiments that sounds like a speciality item but quietly becomes a kitchen essential. Once you've got a jar on the shelf, you start putting it on everything — and wondering how you ever managed without it.

Whether you've just picked up a jar of our Sweet Chilli Jam or you're working your way through the full range, here are ten of the best things to eat with chilli jam, from the obvious classics to a few you might not have thought of.

1. Cheese boards

This is the classic for a reason. Chilli jam and cheese is one of the great flavour pairings — the sweetness and heat cut straight through the richness of the cheese and make every mouthful more interesting. Our Red Hot Chilli Jam works brilliantly with strong cheddar or aged gouda. For something milder alongside brie or camembert, the Sweet Chilli Jam is the one.

2. Glazed chicken

Brush a couple of spoonfuls over chicken thighs or drumsticks before roasting, or use it as a glaze in the final ten minutes of cooking. The sugars caramelise beautifully in the oven and you end up with sticky, lacquered skin and a hit of chilli warmth in every bite. This works just as well on the barbecue.

3. Burgers

Swap ketchup for chilli jam on your next burger and you won't go back. A generous spoonful of Red Hot on a beef patty with a slice of mature cheddar is a seriously good combination. It also works well on chicken and halloumi burgers if you're going meat-free.

4. Sausage rolls and pork pies

If you've ever dunked a sausage roll into a pot of sweet chilli sauce at a party, you already understand this pairing. Our Tomato and Chilli Chutney is particularly good here — the savoury depth of the tomato is a natural match for pastry and pork. Great at Christmas, great at any time of year.

5. Noodles and stir-fries

Stir a spoonful into a noodle dish at the end of cooking for an instant flavour boost. It dissolves into the sauce and adds a sweet, fruity heat that you can't quite get from dried chilli flakes alone. Works especially well with egg noodles, peanut-based sauces, and anything involving pak choi or spring onions.

6. Smoked salmon and cream cheese

This is one that surprises people. A thin layer of Sweet Chilli Jam on a blini or cracker, topped with cream cheese and smoked salmon, is an elegant little bite that punches well above its weight. The jam brings enough sweetness to complement the smoke without overwhelming it.

7. Grilled halloumi

Halloumi is salty, squeaky, and slightly bland on its own. Chilli jam is sweet, fruity, and punchy. Together they're one of the best easy lunches you can make — just grill the halloumi until golden, drizzle over the jam, and eat with flatbread and a handful of rocket.

8. Pizza

A small drizzle of Hot Hot Hot Chilli Jam over a pizza — after it comes out of the oven, not before — adds a sticky heat that works incredibly well with pepperoni, nduja, or just a simple margherita. This is how we got started: finding more interesting things to do with chillis than cutting them up on pizzas, and here we are coming full circle.

9. Sandwiches

Chilli jam in a sandwich sounds deceptively simple, but it completely transforms a ham and cheddar, a roast chicken, or a brie and rocket. Use it where you'd normally reach for mustard or mayo. Sweet Chilli Jam is the most versatile here, but if you like things punchy, the Red Hot works brilliantly with strong flavours.

This is my most amazing toastie with Sweet Chilli Jam, Granary Bread and Red Fox cheese. 

Try it now! 

10. Dipping sauce

Simply put a small bowl of chilli jam on the table alongside spring rolls, tempura, chicken skewers, or anything else that benefits from dunking. It needs nothing added — no diluting, no mixing. Just open the jar and dip.

Which chilli jam should you use?

As a rough guide: use the Sweet Chilli Jam where you want warmth without heat — cheese, salmon, sandwiches. The Red Hot Chilli Jam for dishes that can take a proper punch — burgers, chicken, noodles. And the Hot Hot Hot (Carolina Reaper) only where you genuinely want things to be spicy — a little goes a very long way.

Not sure where to start? The Chilli Duo gives you Sweet and Red Hot together, and the Triple Decker adds the Hot Hot Hot for those who like a challenge.